Organic land management project furthers Parks work
Media: Fianna Dickson, 625.6297. Parks & Recreation: 311
Monday, September 28, 2020 at 12:49 p.m.
In honor of Organic Harvest Month (September), and its fifth year as America's Organic Headquarters®, Natural Grocers announces its partnership with Beyond Pesticides, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to protect public health and the environment by leading the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides. Natural Grocers is celebrating being Organic Month Headquarters and its partnership with Beyond Pesticides with an accompanying fundraiser and giveaways, exclusive educational programs, discounts, and more. (See separate press release.)
Beyond Pesticides is working with the City of Spokane to adopt organic land management practices at Chief Garry Park, as a demonstration project. The goal of the program is to further shift from synthetic weed killers and other potential pesticide use to organic practices that rely on methods and products that support soil biology and microbial life in the soil. This approach, used by organic agriculture, naturally produces nutrients for plants, resulting in more resiliency and a reduction in water use.
“We are excited to be working with the City of Spokane on organic land management practices that protect community health and the environment, including bees, butterflies, and birds, and support efforts to mitigate climate change and biodiversity decline,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. Organic practices eliminate fossil fuel petroleum-based products and sequester atmospheric carbon in the soil, combating the climate crisis.
“We are pleased to work with Beyond Pesticides as part of our pesticide reduction program, as we continue to foster 4,000 acres of healthy parks,” said Garrett Jones, Director of Parks & Recreation. “Their generous collaboration pairs nicely with our pollinator gardens, water reduction projects, SpokaneScapes, and ongoing operations to keep our parks thriving.”
In addition to Natural Grocer’s Five Founding Principles, "organic" is at the heart of the company. Natural Grocers only sells USDA certified 100% organic produce and has always been active in promoting and protecting the integrity of the organic label. The stores are Certified Organic Food Handlers, which means all stores are inspected annually by an organic certifying agency to ensure that we are only using organic-approved processes and cleaning products. This certification, plus our commitment to selling only 100% Certified Organic Produce, guarantees its integrity from farm to basket to table.
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